Trains to Chester

Chester Train Station is just outside the city’s walls, east of Chester Cathedral. Services to major stations, including Manchester Piccadilly, London Euston, and Birmingham New Street, all run through the station.

Two stations called Chester were built before 1848, which were directly opposite each other. After 1848, they were replaced by a larger station that was also named Chester. It was then changed to Chester General in 1870 until 1969, when it became the station we know today.

At the station’s entrance is an Italianate façade and high beams with carved wooden owls to deter pesky pigeons.

Chester Train Station has a variety of amenities and services for its passengers, including:

• A ticket office (opening times: Monday to Saturday: 7.00am – 10.30pm; Sunday: 8am – 10.30pm). You can book train tickets as well as monthly and annual season tickets at the ticket office.
• Self-service ticket machines and accessible ticket machines. Plus, you can collect tickets you have bought online from the self-service machines.
• Step-free access to all platforms.
• Boards to check the real-time train timetable.
• Shops and hospitality.
• Post boxes.
• 76 bicycle storage stands.

Chester Train Station is conveniently situated east of the city centre, just outside the town's ancient walls and near the cathedral. Travellers can enjoy a short fifteen-minute walk from the Grosvenor Shopping Centre to the station. Additionally, local buses and taxis are readily available at the main entrance, ensuring easy access to and from the station for both visitors and residents.

Although located in England, Chester Train Station facilitates travel between England and Wales due to its close proximity to the Welsh border. Typical services include routes to Llandudno, Holyhead, Bangor and Wrexham alongside services to stations in England such as London Euston, Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham New Street, Crewe, and Leeds.

Manchester to Chester

You can get to Chester from Manchester via Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations. It takes one hour and twenty-seven minutes with Northern from Piccadilly, or one hour and two minutes from Oxford Road with Transport for Wales.

London Euston to Chester

Getting from London Euston to Chester with Avanti West Coast takes approximately two hours and five minutes.

Bangor to Chester

On average, it takes one hour and eighteen minutes to get from Bangor to Chester with Avanti West Coast. Trains usually leave about every half an hour.

Holyhead to Chester

The journey from Holyhead to Chester takes around one hour and fifty minutes with Transport for Wales. Trains leave around every half an hour.

Unsurprisingly, Transport for Wales is the primary operator at this station. It serves destinations in north Wales and cross-border services into England, especially in the north west and the Midlands. Meanwhile, Avanti West Coast runs services from northern Wales to London Euston, and Northern connects cities in the north west, like Manchester, Leeds, and Bradford, to Chester and Wales.

Merseyrail also operates from Chester, with four trains per hour running between Chester and Liverpool Central.

Chester has an ancient history, literally. It was founded in the 1st century AD as a Roman fortress. Who knew it’d make for a great day out two thousand years later? That’s because its ancient past adds character to the city. Even the red sandstone that the original Roman walls were built from comes from the local area. There’s also a Roman amphitheatre where gladiators would fight for survival just outside the old walls. You can visit both in Chester.

But the city’s history didn’t stop with the Romans, either. The Rows is a shopping district in the city centre, characterised by its Tudor buildings, some of which date back as far as the Middle Ages. It is a perfect cocktail of history and retail therapy.

Speaking of cocktails, the city is a haven for those who like a good time. There are mountains of good bars and pubs to explore, like Providence Gin, Rooftop Social Club, and Commonhall Street Social.

Not to forget arguably one of the most famous zoos in the UK, Chester Zoo, which has the largest zoo habitat ever created. From outside Chester Train Station, you can get the X1 bus shuttle service from Stop 5 that will take you to the zoo in only fifteen minutes.

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What’s the postcode for Chester Train Station?

The full address for the station is City Road, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 3DR.

How far is Chester Zoo from the train station?

A shuttle bus can take you to Chester Zoo from the train station. The X1 bus service leaves from Stop 5 outside the station and gets you to the zoo in around fifteen minutes.

How far is Chester Cathedral from the station?

It takes approximately twenty minutes to get to Chester Cathedral from the station.

*Information is subject to change. Please check the latest train timetable before your trip.